Coal-conveyer



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. W N PAGE GOAL GONVEYBR.

Patented Sept.V 3, 1889l @Ho/nego MMIV N PETERS. Phowumugnpher. wnhinglm DIC.

(No Model.) Y 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.`

' W. N. PAGE.

GOAL GONVEYER. No. 410,185. Patented sept. 3, '1889.

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(No Model.) A 4 Sheets-'Sheet 3.

W. N. PAGE. GOAL GONVEYBR.

No. 410,185.' Patented Sept. 3, 1889.

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UNITED STATES v PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM N. PAGE, OF POWELLTON, TEST VIRGINIA.

COAL-CO'NVEYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 410,185, dated September 3, 1889.`

Application filed April 15, 1889. Serial No. 307,809. (No model.)

To all whom, it 77mg/ concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM N. PAGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Powellton, in the county of Fayette and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coal-Conveyers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is especially designed for conveying coal or other material from railwaycars to barges or other Vsimilar vessels. It is desirable that the railway-track should be located above the water-level, so as to be protected from freshets and `other like troubles, and that conveniently-adjustable apparatus should be employed for conveying t-he load from the cars to the barges below. It is also desirable that the conveyer should be arranged to convey the coal as gently as possible to guard against breakage. Apparatus which will carry the coal along with it, instead of allowing it to slide upon it, is therefore to be preferred.

The object of my invention is to provide apparatus possessing these advantages, and also to construct theapparatus at as small a cost as possible consistent with strength and durability.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation, with some of the parts broken away and some in section, of the upper end of my improved coalconveyer. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the lower end. Fig. 3 is an isometric View of a section of the conveying belt or apron. Fig. lis an elevation showing in detail one of the sprocket-pulleys and means for adjusting it. Fig. 5 is an end view of the supporting-frame, and showing, also, in transverse section the conveying belt or apron and its supporting devices; and Fig. 6 is a detail end view of the lower sprocket-wheels and their adjusting d evices. f

The framework A, on which the railwaytrack B is mounted and which supports the conveyer, is preferably constructed by forming a bed-work C of timbers, arranged in any preferred form to afford strength and durability and gradually inclining from the waterlevel X upwardly. The top beams D are arranged nearly in a horizontal plane, and v on them the platform is mounted which carries means the sprocket-wheels .are driven.

the tracks B. The beams Q are supported on uprights or standards E, firmly embedded in the bed-work C, and each connected by a cross:

the posts E at e to render the frame strong and rigid. A bumper I is mounted on the top of the frame-work at the end of the track B to limit the movement of the car J. The car J is preferably made with a hopper j, having at the bottom a door j', adapted to deliver the load to a hopper K at the upper end of the frame-work. The hopper K is provided at its lower end with a chute L, hinged at Z and provided with an adj usting-chain Z', which passes over a pulley Z2.

An engine M, of any suitable construction, is located at the upper end of the frame-work in a compartment M', the door or bottom of which is preferably constructed of masonry m. A driving-wheel N, mounted in suitable bearings, carries a bevel-wheel n, which gears with a pinion n on a shaft n2, connected with the 'engine M. A belt n3, passing over the wheel N, leads to the capstan n4. The conveyer may, however, be run by gravity without the aid of the engine when theinclination is sufficient.

The upper sprocket -pulleys O (one of which is shown on anenlarged scale in Fig. 4) arecarricd by a shaft o, having bearings in blocks o', free to slide in guide-straps 02. The

straps o2 are firmly bolted in the girders P, which extend the entire length of the framework. The blocks are connected with adjusting-screws o3, as shown in Fig. 4, by means of which they may be slid along in the straps, and thereby adj ust the shaft o longitudinally relatively to the girders. A cog-wheel O `on the shaft 0 is geared with a cog-wheel o4,car ried on the shaft of the wheel N, by which The girders P are jointed at intervals by ishplates p, and at their lower ends are secured to blocks p', in which is journaled the shaft Q of the lower sprocketfpulleys Q. The girders carry on their upper sides rollers R, (shown in detail in Fig. 5,) and arranged at intervals'apart, as shown, Figs. land 2.

IOO

An endless apron or conveying-belt S traverses the sprocket-wheels O and Q at each end of the apparatus. The belt or apron is preferablyconstructed as shownin Fig. 3, being formed of sheet metal plates having side anges s, and overlapping at s' to form a strong and rigid connection. To the under side of the apron are secured chains S', preferably formed of hinged double links s3. The links s3 are provided with laterally-projecting lugs or ears s4, with perforations S5, through which extend the rivets or bolts for securing the apron to the chain. The links s3 are arranged a suitable distance apart and are secured to the adjacent links by bolts s6. The adjacent links are formed with notches S7 and inclined ends s3 to conform to the under side of the belt. The teeth of the sprocket-pulleys extend through. the links and engage with them,.so that as the pulleys revolve', the chain, and consequently the apron, is carried along correspondingly.

The lower portion of the endless belt or apron S is supported by wheels or rollers- T, arranged on a shaftV T', having bearings in links T3, secured at their upper ends to the girders P, and at their lower ends t secured to braces T3, attached to the under sides of the girders at t' on that side of the rollers toward which they revolve. The links T2 are preferably constructed, as shown in Fig. 5, in two parts, and y, embracing the girders at z, and secured t-othem by bolts or rivets z'.

on the girders P. To the upper ends of the links- T3 are flexibly-connected pulleys U, over which extend adjusting-chains U', connected with differential pulleys V, at the top ofthe frame-work. Similar adjusting-pulleys and connections are located at intervals along the conveyer. In the drawings lhave shown four, but a greater or less number may be employed.

At the lower end of the frame-work are secured vertical guide bars XV, curved, 'as shown, and secured to the end standards E by braces w. The guide-bars W are provided with guide-rails w', curved in the arc of a circle from the shaft 0 of the upper sprocketpulleys as a center.

The boxes q of the pulleys Q are grooved and fit over the guide-rails w', on which they are free to slide. On the outer end of the shaft Q' of the sprocket-pulleys Q are connected pulleys Q3, over which pass chains Q3, passing also over differential pulleys Q4, suspended from the topbeams D.

A chute Y, hinged at y at the lower end of the conveying-apron, is adapted to extend' into a barge or similar vessel Y', and at its outer end is connected with a rope or chain Y3', which extends over a pulley Y3 at the top of the frame-work, and may also carry a dead weight to in a measure counterbalance it.

The chute Y, near its lower end, is provided with an opening opened and closed by a supplemental chute Y4, raised and lowered by a chain Y, As the upper sprocket-wheel O is driven from the engine M, the endless belt or apron S will be carried along in the direction indicated by the arrow, and the load delivered through the hopper K and chute L will be carried to the barge Y' below.

To provide for variations in the waterlevel, the endless apron is adj usted by means of the 'chains U' and Q3 and their connecting mechanisms. The chain Q3 is first operated to raise or lower the lower end of the conveyer, and then the chains U' are similarly operated, the joints of the girders P being sufficiently iiexible to allow of such adjustment; or, if preferred, all the ad justin g-chains may be operated simultaneously. Differential pulleys being employed, the conveyer will remain in the position to which it is. adjusted. The chute Y may be adjusted correspondingly with the adjustment of the conveyer.

I claim as of my own invention- 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the frame-work, the endless apron or conve-yer, the end wheels over which it traverses, the girders extending longitudinally beneath the upper side of the apron, the links secured tothe girders, the supporting wheels or rollers journaled inthe lower ends of the links, and the adjusting devices connected With the upper ends of the links, for the purpose specified. The shaft R of the rollers R rests in boxes 2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the frame-work, the endless apron or conveyer, the upper end wheels over which it traverses, the lower end wheels, the vertical guide-rails curved in the arc of a circle from the upper end wheel as a center, and the grooved bearing-blocks of the lower end wheel, adjustable vertically on the guide-rails.

3. The herein-described apparatus, comprising the bed-work, the uprights or standarc-ls, the top beams carried thereby, the tracks mounted on the top beams, the hopper at the upper end of the frame-work, the adjustable chute at its lower end, the inclined vertically` adjustable conveyer extending under Jthe top beams, from which it is suspended at each end and intermediately.

4. The herein-described apparatus, com'- prising the frame-work, the endless apron or conveyer, the wheels at each end thereof which it traverses, the longitudinal girders, the shafts R', mounted in bearings on. the girth ers, the rollers carried by the shafts and on which the apron is supported, the links T3, secured to the girders and suspended from lpulleys on the frame-work,y the shafts T',

mountedv in the lower ends of the links, and

wheels T thereon for supporting the endless eonveyer or apron on its lower or returning side.

5. The herein-described apparatus, comprising the framework, the endless apron or IOO IIO

eonveyer, the upper end wheelsover which it traverses, the girders, the lower end Wheels,

ythe vertical guide-rails at the lower end of the frame-Work, and means, substantially such as described, for adjusting the lower end of the apron and the girders along the guide-rails and from the axis of the upper end Wheels as a center.

Intestirnony` whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

WILLIAM N. PAGE.

Witnesses:

A. M; HoBsoN, DAVID P. EVANS. 

